China backs Bangladesh's Teesta project again. Why will India keep a close watch?

China has once again thrown its weight behind Bangladesh's ambitious Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project (TRCMRP).

The renewed momentum follows Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's official visit to Beijing from June 22 to 26, where he met Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and Water Resources Minister Li Guoying.

During the visit, the two countries agreed to accelerate work on a technical feasibility study for the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project.

While Beijing has repeatedly insisted that the project is intended to improve livelihoods in Bangladesh and is not directed against any country, New Delhi continues to monitor developments closely because of the project's proximity to one of India's most strategically sensitive regions and the growing role of Chinese state-owned enterprises in Bangladesh.

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China reiterates backing for the project

Days after Rahman's visit concluded, China reaffirmed its commitment to the Teesta project while attempting to address concerns emerging from New Delhi.

Responding to questions about India's reservations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing, "I would like to stress that China-Bangladesh cooperation does not target any third party and should be free from third-party influence."

Guo described the Teesta River initiative as an important development programme for Bangladesh and reiterated that China was prepared to support it. "The comprehensive treatment and restoration of the Teesta River is a livelihood project to which the Bangladeshi side attaches high importance. China is ready to do what it can to support this project," he said.

He also outlined the broader framework of cooperation Beijing hopes to pursue with Dhaka. "China stands ready to seek greater synergy in development strategies with Bangladesh and step up exchange and cooperation in such areas as economy and trade, water conservancy, and livelihood," he added.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman confirmed that experts from both countries would jointly assess the project's technical viability before implementation. "Both sides have agreed on this, which was not at the same stage last time. China has said it will provide all possible support to this project, as the feasibility study justifies it," the minister added.

The latest announcement also builds on earlier cooperation between the two countries. In January this year, the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) and Chinese state-owned POWERCHINA extended an existing memorandum of understanding relating to the Teesta initiative, allowing preparatory work to continue.

Why the Teesta River matters

The Teesta is one of the most important transboundary rivers in eastern South Asia.

Originating in the eastern Himalayas in the Indian state of Sikkim, the river flows through northern West Bengal before crossing into Bangladesh, where it eventually joins the Brahmaputra, known locally as the Jamuna.

Its waters sustain agriculture, irrigation, fisheries and rural livelihoods across large parts of northern Bangladesh. At the same time, the river is also associated with recurring environmental challenges.

During the dry winter season, water availability declines sharply, affecting irrigation, lowering groundwater levels and reducing agricultural productivity across Bangladesh's Rangpur division.

The situation reverses during the monsoon months, when heavy rainfall and increased upstream releases contribute to widespread flooding, riverbank erosion and damage to farmland and settlements.

Managing these contrasting seasonal extremes has long been one of Bangladesh's most significant water-management challenges. For more than fifteen years, Dhaka sought a comprehensive water-sharing arrangement with India that could ensure more predictable river flows throughout the year.

Negotiations, however, repeatedly stalled.

Although India and Bangladesh worked towards a Teesta water-sharing agreement, the proposed treaty has remained unresolved since 2011 because of differences within India's federal political framework, particularly opposition from the state of West Bengal when it was under the Trinamool Congress party.

As successive rounds of negotiations failed to produce a final agreement, Bangladesh increasingly shifted its focus from securing additional upstream releases to improving the management of the water already entering its territory.

The Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project emerged from this broader strategy.

What we know about the Teesta project

The proposed Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project is among the largest river engineering programmes ever planned in Bangladesh. Its primary objective is to improve water management across the Bangladeshi stretch of the river through an extensive package of restoration, flood-control and irrigation measures.

The engineering plan encompasses multiple components rather than a single structure.

According to the project blueprint, more than 140 million cubic metres of accumulated sediment would be removed through large-scale dredging operations covering over 100 kilometres of the river.

The proposal also includes reclaiming approximately 171 square kilometres of land from riverbanks affected by erosion.

Flood management forms another central pillar of the initiative. The project envisages constructing roughly 124 kilometres of new embankments while repairing around 110 kilometres of existing flood-protection structures to strengthen defences against seasonal inundation.

Plans also include developing approximately 224 kilometres of roads along the river corridor together with 82 structural jetty facilities intended to improve transportation and logistical access.

Beyond these physical works, the broader Chinese-backed blueprint also envisages reservoirs capable of storing excess seasonal water and an upgraded irrigation network designed to distribute available water more efficiently across agricultural areas.

Taken together, these aim to reduce flooding during the monsoon, improve irrigation during dry months, stabilise riverbanks vulnerable to erosion, increase agricultural productivity and improve infrastructure in northern Bangladesh.

The latest agreement to conduct a comprehensive technical feasibility study marks the first time that experts from both countries will jointly undertake such an assessment before implementation.

The study is expected to examine engineering requirements, environmental considerations and the project's overall technical viability before construction decisions are taken.

However, while the project has gathered considerable political momentum, questions remain over whether engineering measures alone can fully address the challenges associated with an international river whose upstream flows remain outside Bangladesh's direct control.

Also, the future performance of such infrastructure will continue to depend, at least in part, on broader arrangements governing transboundary water flows.

These questions become even more significant as another major bilateral water agreement approaches an important milestone.

The 30-year Ganges Water Treaty signed between India and Bangladesh in 1996 is due to reach its formal expiry later this year, adding another dimension to discussions surrounding long-term water cooperation between the two neighbours.

Why India is closely watching the project

New Delhi's attention is focused largely on where the project is located and who is expected to implement it. The proposed construction sites lie in northern Bangladesh, close to India's strategically sensitive Siliguri Corridor, commonly known as the "Chicken's Neck."

This narrow land corridor connects mainland India with its northeastern states and has long occupied a central place in India's strategic planning because of its geographical importance.

The prospect of Chinese state-owned companies maintaining a long-term engineering presence close to this area has therefore attracted considerable attention within India's defence and diplomatic establishments.

Officials have been assessing the broader implications of a prolonged Chinese presence involving engineers, construction personnel and heavy equipment operating close to India's eastern frontier.

Large river-management projects generally require detailed hydrographic surveys, sophisticated communications systems and other technical infrastructure.

According to concerns expressed within Indian strategic circles, such capabilities could potentially be used to collect topographical information, monitor activity near the border or support other forms of observation in strategically important areas.

Indian planners have also raised concerns about the possibility of monitoring military movements across parts of West Bengal and Sikkim and intercepting communications in areas where Indian Army and Air Force installations are located.

What this development means for the South Asia equation

For decades, India regarded Bangladesh as one of its closest regional partners and an important part of its immediate strategic neighbourhood.

As discussions surrounding the Teesta project gathered momentum, India had previously attempted to offer technical assistance and conservation support for the river in an effort to remain closely involved in its future development.

Political developments inside Bangladesh, however, have altered the regional equation.

Following the student movement in 2024 and the subsequent general elections in February 2026, a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led government came to power. Since then, Dhaka has increasingly expanded cooperation with Beijing across multiple sectors.

The decision to move ahead with China on the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project, coupled with Bangladesh's decision to delist India from a major economic zone project at Mongla Port in favour of a Chinese proposal, has highlighted this evolving policy direction.

For now, the immediate priority for Bangladesh and China is completing the technical feasibility study agreed upon during Rahman's visit to Beijing.

Ultimately, the Teesta illustrates the challenges of managing a river that crosses international boundaries. Large-scale engineering can improve the management of water available within Bangladesh, strengthen flood protection and support agricultural development.

At the same time, the river's long-term future remains closely tied to upstream flows and continued engagement between the countries that share its waters.

With inputs from agencies